Spotlight & Giveaway: What Happens in Vegas by Shana Gray

Posted July 17th, 2018 by in Blog, Spotlight / 79 comments

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Shana Gray to HJ!
Spotlight&Giveaway

 

In the first warm, funny and romantic novel in the Girls Weekend Away series, four best friends embark on the ultimate girls’ getaway filled with hijinks and a sprinkling of romance.

Hi everyone! I’m so thrilled to be back here at Harlequin Junkie. I live just outside Toronto and we are hot, hot, hot! It’s also very hot where the setting is for my upcoming book WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS.
 
Have you been to Vegas? I’ve been a few times, and I was there once in September when it was so hot on the golf course I thought I was going to melt. I do love Vegas, and one day will go back. Hey! Maybe with a bunch of girlfriends! Here’s a little fun challenge I was asked to do on the title of the book, the first in book in my Girls Weekend Away series. That’s right, there are four books in this series each one set in a different location and following the shenanigans of one of the friends. The next book coming in September is title MEET ME IN SAN FRANCISCO.
 
W – weekend
H – happy
A – adventures
T – temptation

H – hero
A – away
P – poker
P – passion
E – escape
N – new beginnings
S – slots

I – intense
N – nightlife

V – vacation!
E – excitement
G – girls
A – adventure
S – sex
 
Sound fun? I hope you think so. We all know what can happen when a bunch of girlfriends go away for a weekend. And this book take begins an exciting weekend vacation full of adventure and shenanigans of four girlfriends, Bonni, Celia, Ava and Fredi.
 
Can I tease you with a few opening lines?

Bonni found a perfect spot in the bar. She was early, of course, to scope things out and get the lay of the land. Situated in the center of the casino, it was up three steps and gave a good vantage point. She settled in the chair with her back to the decorative wall behind her. A lawman never put his back to the door. It had been ingrained into her; first by her dad when she was a kid and then by her training officer in the police academy. Always be aware of your surroundings, have a backup plan, and know your escape route.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

 
Whenever I write a book, there is always an element of fact to it. Whether it be just the location, or perhaps an event, something that happened while I was away somewhere, it could be any number of things. I decided to come up with 5 Fun Facts – at least I hope they’re fun! – about WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS.

  • Vegas baby! Isn’t that fun in itself? Going to Vegas means all kinds of shenanigans can happen. And they do in this book 🙂 as they can in real life too!
  • I’ve been to all the locations in this book, with the exception of where they go in the helicopter. Next time I go to Vegas, I’m going to go where the girls went.
  • In Vegas you’re allowed to carry drinks along The Strip. It’s not uncommon to see many drunk people stumbling all around. And I do admit, on one trip that was me and blame it on Fat Tuesday’s and the time change from Toronto to Vegas. It can be a killer. There is a little scene reflective of this in the book.
  • The idea for the Girls Weekend Away series was inspired by a promotional video I saw a year ago for a casino in Niagara Falls, Canada.
  •  There is a certain alcoholic beverage that has found its way into each of the books in The Girls Weekend Away series. I challenge you readers to figure it out and let me know once the fourth book comes –which will be around Valentine’s Day. I will do a giveaway, so watch for the contest over the next months on my Facebook page, Instagram and my website.

 
Writing the poker scenes in this book was challenging. While I am not an expert poker player by any stretch of the imagination, I have played Blackjack, Texas Hold ‘em and have watched World Poker Tour — and between you and me I’ve always had a crush on Vince Van Patton. I even tweeted him when I was doing research, hoping for a reply, which I never got *cries* … I digress … What I find amazingly funny, though, is how suddenly I can no longer add when I’m playing poker. My fingers come in very useful for adding up 9 + 8.
 
Here is a question for you guys. If you won big money on the slots in a casino, what would you do with it? How would you spend it? Just for the heck of it, let’s say you won $100,000. My giveaway for those that answer this question won’t be hundred thousand dollars, I’m sorry, LOL, but the giveaway will include a lot less zero’s – a $10 Amazon gift certificate, and e-book of my backlist.
 
It was so good to be here again and share my new release WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS with you all. Release Day is July 24.
 
I’d be thrilled if you signed up for my newsletter at my website www.shanagray.com I’ll also post news of the upcoming Girls Weekend Away books on my site. And if you’re on Goodreads I’m over there too!
 
Take care and I hope the rest of your summer is fabulous!
 
WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS is coming real soon and you can preorder now. All links on my website or below.

 

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

 

Giveaway: $10 Amazon gift certificate, and e-book of my backlist.

 

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: If you won big money on the slots in a casino, what would you do with it? How would you spend it? Just for the heck of it, let’s say you won $100,000.

 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Book Info:

In the first warm, funny and romantic novel in the Girls Weekend Away series, four best friends embark on the ultimate girls’ getaway filled with hijinks and a sprinkling of romance. For any fan of Bridesmaids and Sex and the City and readers of Jo Watson, Lauren Layne, Joanna Bolouri and Cate Woods.

When the cop…

Tough-as-nails detective Bonni Connolly is on a girls’ getaway in Vegas with her friends, when Lady Luck shines on her. Seizing the chance to treat them all, Bonni splurges on a little luxury including a VIP booth in an exclusive club. That’s when she sees him.

Meets the gambler…

Professional poker player Quinn Bryant is in town for one of the largest tournaments of the year. Fortune smiles on him when he spots Bonni across the dance floor. But what starts as a holiday fling soon turns into something more, as Bonni learns to see the man behind the poker face.

The stakes have never been higher.

Even though Bonni’s trip has an end date and there is another tournament calling Quinn’s name, their strong connection surprises them both. And by the end of the weekend they start to wonder if what happens in Vegas doesn’t have to stay there…
Book Links:  Amazon | B&N | iTunes | kobo |
 
 

Meet the Author:

Shana Gray is a hybrid author of contemporary and erotic romances. You can find her works at multiple publishers in including Harlequin Blaze, Headline, Random House, and coming soon with Entangled. Working Girl is available in six languages. She’s also self published. Her stories range from longer full length novels, to scorching quickie novellas. Shana’s passion is to enjoy life! She lives in Ontario, but loves to travel and see the world, be with family, friends and meet new readers

Shana is represented by Louise Fury of The Bent Agency.
Visit her online at shanagray.com
Twitter @shanagray_
Facebook: Shana Gray

 

 

 

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79 Responses to “Spotlight & Giveaway: What Happens in Vegas by Shana Gray”

  1. Sonia

    I would first divide the money up to share with my family and then i would buy a nice piece of land to build a home and the rest I would invest.

  8. Diana Tidlund

    Fix my house and sell it so I can buy my dream log cabin in the woods

  10. kermitsgirl

    I’d pay off my and my husband’s student loans. Besides our mortgage, that’s our only debt and it’d be nice to have that little bit out of our lives! There’d still be a chunk left over that we could stuff into savings or renovate our outdated bathrooms with.

    • kermitsgirl

      Boring – I know, but that’s precisely why we have so little debt and can still take a cruise vacation every year, haha.

      • Amy R

        I’d like to go to RARE in Europe but something in the US would be fine.

        • Shana Gray

          I went to RARE London Calling this past February as a signing author. It was amazing! I hope to be invited back for future RAREs. Fingers cross you get to go. What about the Booklovers con in Nola next May? I’ll be there.

          • Amy R

            I’ve never heard of the Booklovers con, maybe someday. I’ve gone to Penned Con in St Louis the past few years.

  16. laurieg72

    First a trip out West to see my sons who live in Portland.Oregon and Moab, Utah. I would check out a few national parks along the way. Then practical stuff: house needs painting, kitchen and bathrooms need updating, new shrubs and flowers. A new car and lots of books.

  18. Teresa Williams

    Pay bills and move back to my hometown .I’ve won jackpots but nothing that big

  21. Caro

    I’m boring, I couldn’t go crazy without thinking of my future first, lol. I’d pay all my debts, see about getting a small house or apartment, and THEN I’d buy a few things I’ve wanted, like a new laptop or some clothes or something. But nothing too crazy.

    I’d probably see about investing some of it, so it lasts longer.

  30. Jana Leah

    I’d pay off student loans & use the rest for a down payment on a house.

  32. Glenda

    After setting aside some for taxes, I’d pay off bills, do some home repairs, and put the rest in a travel fund (for retirement of course 😉 ).

  33. Patricia Barraclough

    I would be sending some my oldest daughter’s way for law school tuition. Her family is finding things a bit tight now. I would drag our son o the doctor. He has no health insurance and really has a few things that need to be taken care of. Our other daughter and her husband are hoping to build a log house soon. They want a few antique accents for it which are expensive and hard to find. What is left will go to savings and maybe a nice trip to Vegas. The last time we were there was 1982.

  38. Anita H.

    A new car is at the top of the list, sharing some with my family and then investing the rest.

  41. BookLady

    I would remodel the house, improve the landscaping, and add a garden with a water feature.